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Subtitled: The Story Of W.A.U.! Mr. Modo. Year Zero presents a deluxe 3CD package telling the comprehensive story of the iconic W.A.U.! Mr. Modo label started by Alex Paterson and Killing Joke bassist, Martin "Youth" Glover that gave birth to The Orb in the late '80s. W.A.U.! Mr. Modo was the product of like-minded music freaks and lifelong friends Youth and Alex Paterson setting out to celebrate and play their part in the acid house revolution sweeping the UK in the late '80s. In the process, they became two of the most well-known and lastingly influential names to emerge from the whole movement, while the label epitomized the innocence and questing spirit of the era. The first Orb single, recorded at KLF's Transcentral squat HQ, was a homage to KISS FM., called The Kiss EP. Meanwhile, Alex and Youth started demoing a song they called "Little Fluffy Clouds" (a never-before heard version which opens this compilation). After hooking up with former Killing Joke road manager Adam Morris (aka Mr. Modo), the label became known as W.A.U.! Mr. Modo. The music started flowing freely as names including STP Twentythree, Insync, Paradise X and Lyndsey Holloday recorded there. The two CDs also feature the cream of the early W.A.U. releases; a stellar collection of half-forgotten names from the acid house archives (several featuring Alex and Youth), including STP Twentythree, Eternity, Discotec 2000, Delkom, Johnson Dean, U.N.C.L.E., Paradise X, Sun Electric, Indica All Stars, Mystic Knights, Insync, Sound Iration and Zoe, with "Sunshine On A Rainy Day," one of the label's biggest hits. The recordings here can now be considered the acid house equivalent of Alan Lomax's blues field recordings or compilations of DIY bedroom punk; snapshots of seminal moments in musical history. In many ways, acid house was like punk rock all over again; like that movement, Youth and Alex were again in the thick of it but soon out front, leaders of the field within a very short time. This is where it all started. To accompany this celebration of the label, this must-have, collector's package includes a fold-out scrapbook poster of press cuttings from the time unearthed from Paterson's personal archive as well as iconic cover art from Jimmy Cauty. Includes a bonus DJ mix CD mixed by The Orb.
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